Top-End Speed Limiters

What is Top-End Speed Limiter?

All class 7 and 8 trucks – those weighing more than 26,000 pounds – have been equipped with speed limiter technology since the 1990s. This technology ensures that trucks do not exceed a pre-set speed, helping to reduce the risk of crashes, improve fuel efficiency, and lower the severity of crashes involving large trucks.

Facts on Top-End Speed Limiters

  • A study conducted by the Unites States Department of Transportation concluded that large trucks using speed limiters were in half as many high-speed collisions as those not using speed limiters.

  • Texas A&M Transportation Institute looked at approximately 2,800 commercial motor vehicle crashes and found that “speeding” was one of the driving behaviors that “had the most impact on CMV-at fault crashes.

  • According to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, speed-related, at-fault truck crashes fell by 73% after mandatory top-end speed limiter technology took effect in the Canadian province in 2009.

Status of Top-End Speed Limiters

While top-end speed limiters are not required by law, many leading trucking companies voluntarily use them because of their benefits.

In 2024, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiated a rulemaking to require the use of top-end speed limiters on large trucks operating in interstate commerce. The proposed rule has been delayed until 2025.